Central Gateway Turtle Railroad

See also: Gateway Turtle Company

Central Gateway Turtle Railroad

CGTR #3723, a Hydrogold livery GE U25C in 1973 (enhanced).
Reporting mark	CGTR (main locomotives/rolling stock), GTLW (locomotive manufacturing), GTLX (GTLW leasing units), TRTM (TurtleTram locomotives/rolling stock), GTCO (intermodal/cross-network), GTRC (locomotive/railcar leasing)
Predecessor	List Ann Arbor Railroad Boston and Maine Railroad Burlington Northern Railroad Central Railroad of New Jersey Delaware and Hudson Railway Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad Gateway Eastern Railway Illinois Central Railroad Maine Central Railroad Missouri Pacific Railroad Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad Monon Railroad Norfolk Southern Railway Quetzal Central Lines Reading Company Turtle Northern Railway
Founded	June 19, 1898 (1898-06-19)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	12.5 kV 25 Hz AC, overhead line, third rail (TurtleTram trackage)
Parent	Gateway Turtle Company
Website	cgtr.com

The Central Gateway Turtle Railroad (Reporting marks CGTR, GTLW, GTLX, TRTM, GTCO) is a prominent Class I North American passenger and freight railroad, owned by the Gateway Turtle Company. Its operational footprint primarily covers the Southern, Eastern, and Central regions of the United States, with its headquarters located in Fort Worth, Texas. As a major Class I railroad, the Central Gateway Turtle Railroad assumes a critical role in transporting substantial freight volumes across its extensive network. Its intricate infrastructure and logistics system contribute to the effective movement of goods within the serviced regions.

History

Establishment of the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad

Further information: Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad

The Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad was established on July 24th, 1874, following the merger of the Gateway Eastern Railway and the Turtle Northern Railway. This collaborative effort was a response to the economic uncertainties triggered by the Panic of 1873, and it sought to create a more robust and streamlined rail network.

Distinguished by its commitment to excellence, the EGTR rapidly gained prominence for delivering impeccable passenger and freight services across the Northeastern United States. The railroad became synonymous with reliability and efficiency, earning the trust of both passengers and businesses alike.

As the network expanded, the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad played a pivotal role in connecting communities and facilitating commerce. Its reputation for punctuality and top-notch services solidified its position as a go-to choice for transportation needs. The legacy of the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad extended far beyond its formation, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of rail transportation in the late 19th century.

Queztal Central Merger

Main article: QZCL-EGTR Merger

On June 19th, 1898, the Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad would absorb the near-bankrupt Quetzal Central Lines, forming the Central Gateway Turtle Railroad. This would be a major event, as both railroads were rather large at this time, so the merger created a massive rail network.

Early Expansion and Acquisition

Ann Arbor Railroad

A Trainiax EMD SD45T-2 In The Original 1974 AA Heritage Scheme

On September 27th, 1972, the CGTR-AA merger would be finalized, making the Ann Arbor Railroad the second Class I railroad absorbed by CGTR in the 1970s. The railroad's locomotives would be transferred and placed onto CGTR's roster, and the ownership of the tracks would be transferred to CGTR as well.

Incidents

Gulfport Runaway Tragedy

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  CGTR #3723 sinking into a large lake after derailing near Gulfport, MS

• 

  CGTR #3723's brakes glowing red after the locomotive derailed near Gulfport, MS

• 

  Some of the hopper cars pulled by #3723 after derailing near Gulfport, MS

On the 21st of February, 1982, CGTR #3723 was hauling a 28 car iron ore train through the stormy weather near Gulfport, Mississippi. At around 4:38 AM, the locomotive was approaching a somewhat steep grade. The engineer increased the throttle, to keep the train going fast enough, and also applied the sander to account for the wet and slippery trackage. As the locomotive accelerated up the hill, the thunderstorm began to worsen. At about 4:45 AM, the thunderstorm would reach its most severe point, and the locomotive was struggling to continue to accelerate. The engineer would set the throttle to full, to attempt to overcome this. At approximately 4:56 AM, lightning would hit the locomotive, causing the cab to completely lose power. The locomotive by this time had reached the top of the hill, and was getting ready to go downhill. With the throttle being uncontrollable and already at max, the engineer attempted to stop the train by pulling the brakes. This slowed down the train momentarily, but because of the steep grade and high throttle, the train's brakes would eventually overheat and fail. The locomotive would barrel downhill, eventually going onto a relatively sharp curve in the tracks, causing the train to derail and fall into a lake. All members of the crew in the cab would be killed, however the crew members in the caboose would only experience some slight injuries.

Houston Ammo Train Incident

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  A CGTR ammunition train derailing after ramming an oil tanker train in Houston, TX

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  A CGTR train after bursting into flames from ramming an oil tanker train in Houston, TX

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  A CGTR Locomotive after exploding from ramming an oil tanker train in Houston, TX

On the 20th of December, 1979, CGTR #3718 and CGTR #3709 were pulling an ammunition train for a contractor late at night. When the locomotives reached Houston, Texas, they would approach a yard primarily full of oil tankers. The locomotives were going approximately 35 MPH, but what the operators did not know was that due to a switch being flipped, the train was on the wrong track. The train would end up spotting a large oil tanker train containing mostly Procor cars on the track ahead, and attempted to brake, although they were too close to stop in time. The two locomotives would end up ramming the oil tankers, causing them all to detonate and start a large fire. The detonation of the oil tankers would trigger the explosion of the ammunition as well, and shortly after both locomotives would explode, along with the rest of the cargo.

Cleanup

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  A CGTR train after ramming another and bursting into flames being extinguished in Houston, TX

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  CGTR #3723 and #3721 arriving to help clean up the damaged train cars after they were rerailed

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  CGTR #3701 preparing to move damaged cars for repairs to be done on at the end of a yard

After the fires arising from the train cars and locomotives would be put out by the Houston Fire Department, all cars would be rerailed and placed into several trains in the yard. Roadswitchers CGTR #3721 and CGTR #3723 would arrive shortly to couple all of the trains and transport the damaged cars to another yard, where they would be repaired and placed back into service. CGTR #3709 and CGTR #3718 would be repaired and placed back into service as well, and would remain in service until they were retired in 2000.

Intermodal

CGTR offers a variety of intermodal services, including trucks, vans, and off-road Maintenance of way vehicles.

Equipment

Locomotives

As of late 2023, CGTR rosters over 3,500 locomotives.

Type	Quantity	Road Numbers	Notes	Image
EMD F125	74	1–3, 14–25, 42–50, 300–349
GE P32AC-DM	35	4–13, 6900–6924
EMD GP40FH-2	26	26–41, 6300–6309
EMD F59PHI	8	51–58
MPI MP54AC	13	62–74
GTLW DAS25	2	75–76
GTLW DAT45AB	1	77
GTLW YF2	18	200–217
GTLW YF2B	2	218, 219
GE B23-7	62	400–461
GE B30-7	78	500–577
EMD GP39-2	31	600–630
GTLW GP7-GT	100	700–799
GE C30-7	45	900–944	Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1978
EMD GP40	40	1000–1039	Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981
ALCO S-4	8	1100–1107
GTLW CFP7	20	1200–1219
GE U18B	10	1300–1309	Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981, kept ex. Maine Central names
ALCO C424M	6	1400–1405	Painted and remained in GTSF scheme since 1981
EMD SDP40F	2	1874A, 1874C
EMD SDP40FB	1	1874B
EMD SD70M	2	1898A, 1898B
EMD SD45T-2	2	1971, 1972
EMD GP39-2	1	1974
GE C30-7	1	1975
EMD GP50	1	1981
GE C39-8	1	1985
GE C40-8	1	1988
EMD SD70	1	1991
EMD SD70MAC	1	1992
GE C40-9W	1	1997
GE C44-9W	1	1999
RDG 2102	1	2102
GE U36C	1	3723	rebuilt from GE U25C after a wreck and nicknamed the "Phoenix Resilient"
Quetzal Central 4602	1	4602
GTLW SD40-GTHH	55	5000–5054	Rebuilt from SD40-2s
GTLW SD40-GTS	39	5064–5102	Rebuilt from SD40-2s
GTLW SD40-GT	64	5116–5179	Rebuilt from SD40-2s
EMD SW1504	24	5400–5423
EMD MP15AC	50	5500–5549
GE B23-7	36	5700–5735
EMD GP39-2	17	5800–5816
GE C30-7	22	5900–5921
GE B30-7	78	6000–6077
GE B39-8	20	6100–6119
EMD MP15T	20	6200–6219
GE C40-8	40	6400–6439
EMD F59PH	33	6500–6532
EMD SD60M	50	6600–6649
GE C40-8W	70	6700–6769
GE C44-9W	50	6800–6849
GE AC4400CW	645	7000–7644
GE P42DC	30	7700–7729
GE AC6000CW	50	7800–7849
EMD SD70MAC	30	7900–7929
EMD GP20D	35	8000–8034
EMD SD9043MAC	48	8100–8147
EMD SD70ACe	308	8200–8457
GE ES44DC	300	8500–8799
GE ES44AC	455	8800–9254
GE ES44C4	553	9300–9852

Liveries

Bluewashed

A Trainiax GE B36-7 in CGTR Bluewashed Scheme

The Bluewashed scheme was a CGTR scheme used on freight and switching locomotives that was first seen in the mid 1960s and 1970s, appearing on the new GE U25Bs, EMD SW1500s, ALCO C630s, EMD SD39s, GE U33Bs, GE B36-7s, EMD F45s, EMD SD40-2 and EMD SD40T-2s, and being repainted onto the older ALCO HH1000s, EMD NW2s, Baldwin VO-660s, EMD BL2s, EMD SW9s, Baldwin RF-16s

Bluelined

A Trainiax EMD FP45 in CGTR Bluelined scheme.

The Bluelined scheme was a CGTR scheme used on passenger locomotives that was first seen in the late 1960s to 1970s, appearing on the new EMD FP45 in 1967, the new EMD F40PH in 1976, and being repainted onto the older EMD E7s, ALCO PA-2s, and EMD E8s, in the early 1970s. The scheme would remain on most of its locomotives until their retirements, as many of them were becoming outdated. The scheme would be replaced in

Tealwave

A Trainiax ALCo C-424 in CGTR Tealwave scheme.

The Tealwave scheme is often seen as the most iconic CGTR scheme, with most of the company's locomotives bearing the scheme at one point throughout their service. The scheme is similar in design to the Bluelined scheme, however a notable difference is that the standard yellow on this scheme is replaced with the teal of the Bluewashed scheme.

See Also

• Gateway Turtle Locomotive Works
• Gateway Eastern Railway
• Turtle Northern Railway
• Eastern Gateway Turtle Railroad
• Quetzal Central Lines
• Gateway Turtle Company
• TurtleTram